Swinging Defensively, McGwire Strikes Out

Twelve years ago a
thrilling summer lifted Major League Baseball out of the slump created by
1994's labor strife and canceled World Series. The revival was fueled by the
"Mac and Sammy" home-run derby, with Mark McGwire smashing the
single-season record and Sammy Sosa right on his heels.

Last week McGwire
admitted what many in baseball had long believed: For much of his career,
including the magical ’98 season, he used performance-enhancing drugs. The
confession tainted his achievements, heightened suspicion over Sosa and other
recent sluggers and proved that MLB will confront issues of the "steroid
era" for years to come.

For one of the
Observers, who has supported McGwire's candidacy for the Hall of Fame, the news
was particularly painful.

Artie: Just after you vote for
Big Mac again, he admits he was "juicing." How does it make you feel?

Frank: Part of my thinking
with McGwire was that there was no hard evidence, only assumptions. And I hoped
he wasn't "dirty" because he was always a good guy.

Artie: Unlike, say, Barry
Bonds, a jerk who's easy to condemn.

Frank: Right. I also believe
that everyone in baseball—management, the players’ union, media, fans—were
"enablers" for the steroid users. We ignored our suspicions, the
physical changes in some players, even McGwire's public connection in ’98 to
the quasi-steroid called "andro," because Mac and Sammy were such fun
as they hit 70 and 66 homers.

Artie: In 2001, San Francisco fans ignored
Bonds' personality and his mega-body to cheer his 73 homers. But at the same
time, there was so much reporting on the "new" baseball athletes,
using year-round training and better nutrition, that it was easy for fans to
compare them to the ’50s or ’60s and believe they were legit.

Frank: The last part of my
thinking on McGwire was that if he was "using," so were many others
who didn't reach 583 career homers. Plus, if you start throwing out individual
stats and records, what about team results? Those judgments are impossible, so
MLB should just acknowledge the steroid era, let the numbers stand but clearly
label any admitted or suspected drug-user.

Frank: The trouble is, every
time McGwire spoke last week he made it worse for himself.

Artie: These guys get coached
to the point of absurdity. Big Mac is being "handled" by Ari
Fleischer, a former White House mouthpiece. His media blitz would have been
more acceptable a couple of years ago, not when he's returning to the game as
the Cardinals' hitting coach.

Frank: Agreed. He said he
wanted to come clean at the infamous 2005 congressional hearing but the feds
wouldn't give him immunity from prosecution. Fine, but the statute of
limitations on anything he did as a player expired long ago; why not confess at
the earliest possible time?

Artie: He's also getting
coached by Tony La Russa, who wants us to believe he was shocked—shocked!—to
learn that this guy, whom he saw every day for years, was a user. Baloney!

Frank: I was shocked by
McGwire's total disconnect from reality, in terms of how the steroids helped
him. He said he used them only for health reasons, to keep his body from
breaking down, but that somehow he would have hit all those homers anyway.

Artie: You can't hit home runs
if you're not on the field.

Frank: Exactly. McGwire kept
talking about natural talents, and he surely had them, but as his body was
giving out, the steroids let him slow that process, recover from workouts
better and play more games than he would have otherwise. Call that
"performance-enabling" if you prefer, but it's still artificial
assistance.

Artie: In 1993 and ’94 he
played a total of 74 games and hit 18 homers. But he got back over 100 games in
’95 and averaged over 150 in ’97 through ’99, when he hit 193 dingers—almost
one-third of his career total!

Frank: Let's say that without
the ’roids he'd have had 100 fewer at-bats per season from ’95 on. At his best
HR frequency, that would be about a dozen homers a year. That would mean no
passing Roger Maris’ record 61 in ’98 and probably under 500 for his career.

Artie: Which would drop Mac
into the category of "good numbers but not a Hall of Famer."

Frank: This gets to what will
probably be the heart of the Hall of Fame debate for "steroid era"
guys. Assuming we have a clear idea when they started using, were they Hall of
Famers before then?

Artie: For Bonds and Roger
Clemens, the answer might be yes. For McGwire, it looks like no.

Frank: Now that McGwire has
provided his own evidence, I have a hard time seeing myself voting for him
again.

Artie: One thing I know for
sure. My guy Bert Blyleven was clean, and next time he'll get the last few
votes he needs!

Frank: I hope the McGwire mess
persuades other users to come clean. And he can do one more thing. If he's
sincere in saying his Hall of Fame chances have nothing to do with his
confession, he can ask that his name be taken off the ballot, or that no one
vote for him.

Artie: He said he wished he
"had never played during the steroid era," as though he had no
choice.

Frank: He's started to help
put a close to that era, but he needs to do more.

Saintly Aspirations

Frank: So Mr. Favre is one
step from a Super Bowl in purple. I reckon you're the No. 1 Saints fan this
week.

Artie: You betcha! The
Vikings-Cowboys game didn't end as I hoped, with both teams losing.

Frank: I suppose the Metrodome
roof could have collapsed and injured enough guys on both sides to have the NFL
declare New Orleans
the NFC champs.

Artie: The Saints will take
care of business this weekend. Brett suddenly loves to play in a dome? This
time he'll remember how tough he had it indoors when he was a Packer. That
Superdome will be just insane!

Frank: Meanwhile the Jets, who
made the playoffs by beating two semi-engaged opponents, could make the Super
Bowl as a wild card.

Artie: Using the
formula—ferocious defense—that took their stadium-mates, the Giants, to the top
two years ago. I'll bet the joints are jumping on the Jersey Shore!

Falling Stars

Artie: Ouch! The Bucks and Wisconsin’s hoopsters
have to play without a key guy.

Frank: I think Jon Leuer’s
broken wrist is more costly to UW than Michael Redd's re-wrecked knee is to the
Bucks.

Artie: Me too. Even with Redd
the Bucks were struggling to stay in the hunt for the eighth and last playoff
spot in the East.

Frank: A typically rough trip
out west (1-5) put them at 16-23 and standing 10th.

Artie: But the East is so lame
that by next week they could be back in the seventh spot.

Frank: I think they're a
better team without Redd. Nothing against him, but he's a one-dimensional
player.

Artie: He's a terrific
shooter, but this team needs to run and move the ball to be successful.

Frank: When we saw them beat Toronto, a game Redd
missed, they got good passing from every position and balanced scoring.

Artie: On the other hand, the
Bucks rely on the outside shot, and Redd could rescue them on certain nights.
The signing of Jerry Stackhouse might help, but at 35 he's strictly a
stopgap.

Frank: Redd has been an honest
worker and a solid citizen here for a lot of years...

Artie: High praise,
considering that Gilbert Arenas has made NBA stand for "Now Bringin'
Artillery" into the locker room.

Frank: Unfortunately, now Redd
is damaged goods and carrying an $18 million price tag for next season on a
contract option the Bucks can't void.

Artie: They could trade him,
but who'll want to eat that salary?

Frank: Then there's the
Badgers. No doubt Leuer's absence is a big blow.

Artie: They lost at Ohio State,
but UW won't crumble. There's too much that's solid about the Bo Ryan system.